Computer systems can generally operate in and shift between different power states. In particular, many computer systems are configured to shift into some type of a low-power state (e.g., a sleeping state) when they are not in use. When a computer system is in a low-power state, it is typically possible to “wake up” the system (i.e., to return it to a relatively high-power state) via an external wake-up event, such as a mouse click, a key stroke, a push of a button, and so on. Some computer systems also have the capability to be woken up remotely over a network, e.g., by another computer system performing an after-hours maintenance routine on the network.
When a computer system is operating in a low-power state, the system typically still requires some power to support its remote wake-up capabilities. For example, the system's network adaptor may need to stay powered. Moreover, to sense and process remote wake-up events, the computer system may require a BIOS that is configured to accept such events, a special network adapter and driver, and so on.